The Water Surrounded Me, Even To My Soul...p1
by Anna
Summary: What if Michaela never came to CS? Please review


  
The Water Surrounded Me, Even To My Soul  
  
  
  
  
  
She turned back. When she read the announcement in the newspaper and answered it, she imagined that her trip to the West would be a romantic adventure, but having seen the endless prairies through the train window she suddenly became aware of how different her life would be than the one she was used to. She imagined herself alone in this vast wilderness without any friends or any support.  
  
  
In one flashing moment, all her courage went away and,calling herself a coward, she returned to the train depot and reluctantly bought a ticket back to Boston.   
  
  
She felt disappointed coming back home after her decision to be a doctor on the frontier, but nobody blamed her for this.   
  
  
Her sisters were smiling, and the oldest, Rebecca, exclaimed, noticing her, "Michaela! How wonderful that you're back!!! We have good…great news! Your fiancè , David…he's alive, and he's here, in Boston!!!!"   
  
  
Charlotte Cooper was dead, "Who will take care of my poor children?", were her last words. As she said this, she looked pleadingly at Sully, who was standing near her bed with little Brian.   
  
  
The boy wanted Sully to ask Cloud Dancing, Cheyenne medicine man, to help Charlotte, who was bitten by the rattlesnake, but it was too late.   
  
  
Even Cloud Dancing, with his healing skills, couldn't help her. "Please…" Charlotte whispered, as she left this world….. "She trusted you to take them Sully." Rev.Johnson told him, "It sounded like that to me…"  
  
  
Sully looked at him, perplexed, Charlotte knew what all the townsfolk thought about his life. It would be very strange for her to entrust him to raise her children, but Charlotte's last words sounded the same to him as they did to the Reverend. She DID indeed want him to take them.   
  
  
Crying, Brian cuddled up to him while Colleen and Matthew looked at him with expectation.   
  
  
"Yes," he said finally, "If you kids ain't against it."   
  
  
The elder children nodded, and Brian raised his head and smiled through the tears…  
  
  
."This is impossible!!!!!" Loren Bray was furious when he had heard this. "Charlotte was out of her mind! Maybe she didn't recognize him!! She musta' thought it was Ethan, she didn't call Sully by name, did she?"   
  
  
"Charlotte was in her right mind until her last minute." The Reverend said,"and she knew what she wanted. Sully will be a good father to them."   
  
  
Good father!?!! They'll be walking around with all those Injun buckskins and feathers!" Loren smirked.   
  
  
"We'd better send them to an orphanage." Jake Slicker agreed, "At least they'd have a good upbringing there…"  
  
  
"I'll never let you send them to an orphanage." They all heard Sully's voice from the door.   
  
  
"Nobody asked you...." Loren was upset, "It's clear as noonday, it would be better for them."   
  
  
"He's right," Jake agreed."You don't know what an orphanage is, but I do." Sully said, sadness in hisvoice.   
  
  
"But Charlotte's last will, what about what she wanted?" Maude Bray began timidly.   
  
  
"Nobody's interested in your opinion Maude." Loren interrupted her. "Those children have their godmother, my sister Olive! She will raise them the right way!"   
  
  
Sully gave him a look. His blue eyes darkened from his anger ."We'll see." He said sharply and he turned and left the Bray's store.   
  
  
Ethan Cooper stole all the family money when he ran away, and Charlotte had nothing left to pay all the debts, so soon after her death her boardinghouse was repossessed by a Denver bank.   
  
  
Certainly Loren felt sorry for the Cooper kids, but he couldn't help but ask gloatingly, as Sully visited his store next time, "Where you gonna live now, in a Injun teepee?"   
  
  
Sully didn't answer.   
  
  
"Look at yourself," Loren continued, "you have no job and no place to live, and you still tell me over and over again that you'll raise up these kids?"   
  
  
"That's right, I am!" Sully finally answered. "I'll find a job as soon as the negotiations are finished. And we do have a place to live, my old homestead."   
  
  
Loren stopped short, gazing at his ex-son-in-law in wonderment. The storekeeper still blamed him for Abagail's death, but at the same time he understood how just visiting this homestead would hurt Sully.   
  
  
But Loren didn't let himself show this, and said aloud, "Well, as you like, anyway, it won't be for long, as soon as Olive arrives, she'll take the kids from you! Me and her will decide who is the best family for them. Their godmother, or you, who's spending a lot of time with those savages, and sometimes ya behave just like them!"   
  
  
Sully just looked at him with disgust and put his goods on the counter.   
  
  
"Here is your three dollars. Anyway, this is none of your business."   
  
  
Loren angrily threw the change down on the counter, "You listen to me, I'll do my best to take those kids from the likes of you!!!"   
  
  
Sully turned to him, blue eyes glaring, "I'm sure you'll do the same thing,"   
  
  
he said through the clenched teeth, "You'll do the same that you did with your daughter…"  
  
  
He rushed away, slamming the door behind him.   
  
  
"We need to move next week." Sully told the kids after lunch.   
  
  
"We gonna go live with the Cheyenne, Sully?" Brian asked hopefully  
  
  
"No, we'll live in my old homestead, I just need to fix something there."   
  
  
"I'll help you." Matthew offered  
  
  
"Why do we have to move?" Colleen asked.   
  
  
"Your mother had a debt to the bank for the boardinghouse," Sully tried to explain, "and now they want to sell it and take their money back. I'm not good in banking," he added, "I just know that we can't live here anymore. I'm sorry."   
  
  
"We understand" Colleen sighed, and Matthew nodded , confirming his sister's words.   
  
  
But Brian looked at them unhappily, he still hoped that Sully would change his mind and they would all live in a buffalo-skin teepee, like the Cheyenne.   
  
  
Sully's old homestead was in better condition than he thought it would be, it just needed some cleaning and small repairs.   
  
  
Certainly, Sully was aware that coming here would be very painful for him, but he couldn't imagine how much. The chair, turned upside-down, the slivers of a broken pitcher, the clothes, scattered on the floor - all reminded him about the day of Abagail's death, as if it had happened just yesterday.   
  
  
"Phew! So dusty!" Brian said with disappointment.   
  
  
"So, we need to tidy up is all." Colleen told him, "Go get a rag."   
  
  
"I don't want to live here!" Brian said stubbornly, "I'd rather go live with the Cheyenne, they don't do cleaning!"   
  
  
"Don't be difficult!" Colleen yelled, "Sully, tell him!"   
  
  
She stopped, as Matthew touched her elbow, nodding at Sully, who still stood at the door, unable to enter the room. Noticing the tears in his eyes, Colleen offered hastily, "Sully.....please take Brian for a walk. I don't want him to bother us while we tidy up."   
  
  
Sully nodded after a long pause, fighting back tears. "Sure…let's go, Brian, take your fishing pole." Sully said softly.   
  
  
"Sully?" Brian suddenly asked, "Why didn't ya want to go in there?" Is it because you're missing your family?"   
  
  
Sully lowered his eyes, looking at his fishing float "Yes," he finally answered.   
  
  
"I know you feel sad," Brian continued, "Me too, but Miss Abby and baby Hannah are in Heaven, and now my Ma too. The Reverend told us that they are happy there."   
  
  
"I know, Brian," Sully said, "but I still miss them…very much, - his voice faded, and he turned away.   
  
  
Brian put his fishing pole aside and sat closer to Sully: "I'm sorry…But now you have us, and we have you…as our family."   
  
  
Sully managed a smile and hugged the boy, "You're right Brian, you are absolutely right."   
  
  
The homestead looked quite different when they came back. Colleen and Matthew not only cleaned up the room, but rearranged all the furniture.   
  
  
"We've changed something here." Colleen said, "How do you like it?"   
  
  
"That's great." Sully said, feeling that lump in his throat again, "I like it…Thank you…"  
  
  
Colleen exchanged glances with her brother. She was very proud of her idea.   
  
  
The homestead looked different now, and Sully was able to come there, hopefully with less pain. "Thank you," Sully told them again, "I appreciate this…"  
  
  
Colleen put the plates on the table, "Supper is ready! We have no meat today, but I baked a pie!"   
  
  
"I'll bring you a turkey tomorrow." Sully said, "You're very good at cooking, Colleen, just like your Ma."   
  
  
The kids were very quiet during supper, and Sully asked them if everything was all right. "Mr.Bray told me we gotta go to an orphanage." Brian said, "I don't wanna go there, please don't let them Sully, please."   
  
  
"Nobody, you hear me, nobody will send you there! I promise…if you still want to stay with me."   
  
  
Instead of answering, Colleen and Brian stood up and hugged him. Matthew, as the "man, who doesn't like all these sloppy endearments", remained sitting, but smiled broadly.   
  
  
"I love you, Sully." Brian whispered in Sully's ear, and glancing at his sister, added, "We all do!"   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Hey, is there anybody here?!" Maude Bray knocked at the door for the third time.  
  
  
Finally, Sully appeared from behind the house, holding a wet and soapy cloth in his hands. His hair was disheveled and his shirt was soaked and unbuttoned. Maude barely stifled a laugh, Sully looked as if he just had a bath in a laundry tub himself.   
  
  
"Morning Maude," he said, "I been doing the laundry."   
  
  
"Yes I see. Morning, Sully, Loren is in Manitou today, so I decided to come out and visit. You need a hand?"   
  
  
Sully tried to fasten his shirt, but the wet soapy cloth slipped out from his hands to the ground. "I'm afraid I'm not so good at laundry," he sighed, trying to shake it off as he looked helplessly at Maude.   
  
  
"Don't worry," Maude assured him, "That's not very easy, especially for men, I mean someone who ain't done it before. Let me do it for you?"   
  
  
"No thank you." Sully answered, "I want to learn …that's Colleen's job, but she has so many daily chores even without this. She's only 13 and she needs some time to play with her friends."   
  
  
"Well," - Maude offered, "Let me just help you a little. You'll learn very quickly."   
  
  
"I have a lot of things to learn now." Sully agreed.   
  
  
Maude put her hand on his shoulder, "I don't care what Loren says, I want you to know, you're a good father for them, Sully, and I'm happy to see you having family again…"  
  
  
"She wiped a tear from her cheek and added, "I believe our Abby would be proud of you. Now, let's go, I'll help you."   
  
  
A month passed. Sully and the Cooper children lived happily in Sully's homestead.   
  
  
Colleen cooked meals, sewed and looked after Brian. She didn't have much free time, but was very proud of her "housekeeper" role.   
  
  
Sully had a lot of carpentry work in town and Matthew often helped him. He liked to feel himself as the growing man, who feeds his family.   
  
  
Brian enjoyed his new life. Certainly, he missed his mother, and sometimes cried, but Sully was the best father he ever could wish for.   
  
  
Sully knew a lot of Indian legends and stories about the nature and wild animals. He taught Brian Cheyenne and sign language, and Brian could talk a little with Cheyenne boys, when he visited the reservation.   
  
  
Brian was the proud owner of a large collection of wonderful wooden toys, carved by Sully, but most important was that Sully answered all his questions.   
  
  
Sully sat near Brian's bed when he had nightmares, and understood him even without words.   
  
  
All of them were happy, but the townsfolk still were outraged by Sully's decision to raise Charlotte's kids. In their opinion, he was too strange and different for this. The only person who defended him, Maude Bray, died from a heart attack.   
  
  
Olive Davis was informed about Charlotte's death when she came back to Colorado Springs.   
  
  
"Poor children," she told Loren, "who takes care of them?"   
  
  
"Sully," he answered reluctantly, "Can you imagine?"   
  
  
"Sully?!" her eyebrows raised, "And just how does he manage this?"   
  
  
"Just fine!" Brian exclaimed, bouncing in her hands.   
  
  
"It's good that you're back." Loren said instead of answering, not paying any attention at little boy's words, "You're their godmother, Olive, and they must live with you!"   
  
  
"I'll say," Jake agreed, "or they'll grow like them savages, and they'll be just like him!"   
  
  
"That's my problem, not yours," Olive told him, "You know, some clients have been sitting near your barbershop for a long time. You're wasting all your time at Loren's instead of doing your job, you'll lose customers."   
  
  
"I just want to say that Sully isn't fit for this, he's crazy."   
  
  
"Sure he is," Hank appeared from behind the shelves, "Have you ever seen any man taking care of kids who aren't even his own?"   
  
  
He put a dozen of cigars on the counter. "In your opinion the real man is the one who drinks and plays poker in your saloon all day long." Grace, Olive's housekeeper said, "To me, those kids look very happy, that's all!"   
  
  
"That'll be One dollar, twenty," Loren told Hank, then turned to his sister,   
  
  
"I seen a few weeks ago how one of Hank's whores was walking around with Brian. What do you think about that?"   
  
  
"Miss Myra just offered to look after me while Sully was translating for the Army." Brian tried to explain, "She's an awful nice lady."   
  
  
"She's not a "lady" Brian." Loren said, "She's just a…."  
  
  
"Stop it, Loren!" Olive interrupted him, "I 'll see…Brian, what if I go visit you tomorrow?"   
  
  
"Sure!" Brian was happy, "Colleen will bake an apple pie!"   
  
  
"What are you talking about?!" Loren outraged, "we need to summon the town for a meeting and forbid Sully to raise up these kids!"   
  
  
"Are you doubting that I'll do my best to make my best friend's children happy?" Olive asked her brother, "Don't get me angry Loren Bray!"   
  
  
Colleen opened the front door, "Evening, Miss Olive! I baked a pie for you!"   
  
  
"Colleen, how nice, let me taste it." Olive responded as she came in and glanced around the room which looked clean and cozy, as it had long before, when Abagail was still alive. The textured curtain, now half- opened, screened-off one of the corners. There were a couple of ragdolls, a hairbrush and small mirror on the shelf, so Olive guessed that was Colleen's "room". She smiled a bit, noticing a large amount of beautifully carved animals and birds on the mantelpiece and a small bow and arrow near the large one on the wall. She was aware that Sully did his best to settle the kids as comfortably as he could.   
  
  
"Supper is ready." Colleen announced and the family sat at the table.   
  
  
"Charlotte taught you good," Olive told her, tasting a slice of pie, "this pie is quite good, and gravy as well."   
  
  
The kids exchange the looks and giggled "It wasn't Colleen who made the gravy!" Brian explained, still giggling, "It was Sully!"   
  
  
"Sully?!" she was surprised, "Where'd you learn this?"   
  
  
Sully shrugged, "Ah, long time ago in the mining camps, there was no cook."   
  
  
"Not bad, not bad at all." Olive said.   
  
  
They finished their supper. Brian ran out to the backyard, and Colleen began to clean the table and wash the dishes.   
  
  
"Well, it's time to go home. Thanks for the supper." Olive walked to the door. Sully followed her, "Miss Olive. I know, you love these kids, and Charlotte was your best friend, but please.. don't take them from me, I beg you."   
  
  
"Truth is," Olive confessed, "When I came here, I was sure I'd have to take them, but now, now I'm not so sure. I don't know, Sully. I need to think about this. Well, I need to leave next week, and we'll talk later, after I'm back. So let them live with you at least until then."   
  
  
Sully looked at her with gratitude, "Thank you Olive."   
  
  
"You're welcome. Just want you to know, I 'm not on Loren's side in this battle."   
  
  
She found Brian near her wagon feeding the horse candies.   
  
  
"Hey, do you want to spoil her teeth?" Olive asked him in mock anger.   
  
  
"Just wanted her to taste this." Brian started to explain, but noticing a smile at her face, he smiled also.   
  
  
"Miss Olive," he suddenly said, "let us live with Sully, please?!!"   
  
  
"You'll stay with him until I come back from my Mexican ranch. Oh, Brian , I nearly forgot tell Sully I really enjoyed his gravy."   
  
  
"Thank you, Miss Olive!" Brian yelled and, jumping, gave her a smacking kiss on her cheek.   
  
  
" Did you tell him that they'll live with you?" Loren asked his sister.   
  
  
"No, I didn't. I'm not sure that would be right." She responded.   
  
  
"WHAT?!!" Loren yelled, "Are you crazy, Olive?! What the hell are you doin'?!"   
  
  
"Stop yelling at me, Loren Bray!" she yelled, "I'm a grownup and can manage without your advice."   
  
  
Then she added more softly, "Loren, it's time to stop blaming Sully for Abby's death. Stop venting your fury upon him."   
  
  
"I'll never stop blaming him! If he didn't steal her from me, she would be alive, happily married to Martin!"   
  
  
"Nobody knows what could be happened." Olive shook her head, "That's God's will and I can tell you just one thing, Martin would never mourn of her as much as Sully has. I've told him, I'll make a decision after I'm back from New Mexico. And, Loren, don't bother him anymore till that time.promise?"   
  
  
"Promise." Loren muttered reluctantly.   
He didn't keep his promise. A few days before Olive returned, two unknown refined ladies arrived in Colorado Springs.  
  
  
"Denver Philanthropist Society", Loren looked at the writting on the stagecoach as the ladies set their feet on the muddy ground with great disgust.   
  
  
"Do you know who they are?" Loren asked, smirking and rocking on his heels.   
  
  
Hank and Jake, who were standing on the store porch, shook their heads.   
  
  
"They're from the Charity society of Denver. They are sponsoring the orphanage there. I've read about it in the DENVER POST, and sent them a telegram…Let them see if Sully is able to raise up those kids…"  
  
  
Meanwhile, the ladies approached the store, and one of them said:   
  
  
"Morning, gentlemen…Would you please tell me, where I can find Mr.… ", she looked at the small sheet of paper in her hand, "Mr. Byron Sully?"   
  
  
"Sully? Just a minute." Loren answered "An Injun reservation," Hank laughed, "That's the best place for him."   
  
  
He puffed his cigar and the ladies coughed. "In a reservation?!" They raised their eyebrows  
  
  
"He lived with the Indians for a few years." Loren explained  
  
  
"He's one of them anyway." Hank interrupted him again.   
  
  
"Nobody asked you!" Loren said angrily, then turned to the ladies, "This man, Sully, he wants to adopt three children, as I wrote, but they have a godmother, my sister…she's a good woman."   
  
  
"Don't worry," one of the ladies told him, "we'll watch very attentively and if Mr.Sully is unable to take care of them in a proper way, we'll take them to the Denver orphanage, or to your sister, if she wants to adopt them."   
  
  
The ladies from the charity society spent a few days in Colorado Springs, talking with the townsfolk. The next day they visited Sully's homestead…  
  
  
"Good evening, children." Said one of the ladies coming in, "we're from Denver, and want to know how Mr.Sully takes care of you."   
  
  
"Just fine!" Brian exclaimed,   
  
  
"Sorry…evening, Ma-am," he added.   
  
  
"Where is he?"   
  
  
"At the reservation." Brian sighed, "without me today…"  
  
  
"What do you mean, he takes you to the Indian Reservation?!"   
  
  
"Sure he has!" Brian answered  
  
  
. Colleen kicked his leg under the table, and he stopped.   
  
  
"But…that's very dangerous!"   
  
  
"No...." Matthew objected, "The soldiers, they're the dangerous ones, you oughta ask in town how they behaved. Just look at the saloon, there's fights and shooting every day…The reservation is much safer place, believe me."   
  
  
"I 'm not interested in the saloon." said the lady, turning now to Colleen:   
  
  
"As I could see, you have a lot of work to do here. Please, tell me about your daily chores."   
  
  
"I cook, sew, milk the cow, feed the animals, clean the room, watch out for Brian…"  
  
  
"Have you any time to play, or visit your friends?"   
  
  
"Sure, I have! Sully and Matthew often help me."   
  
  
"You're growing up, Colleen," another lady told her, "so you could ah, have…some special questions, that Mr.Sully is unable to answer."   
  
  
Colleen shrugged, "I can ask Snowbird, she speaks English…"  
  
  
Matthew rolled his eyes and waved his hand behind the ladies backs.   
  
  
"…or Miss Olive, I can ask her," Colleen quickly added, "she's our godmother."   
  
  
"Perhaps, you'd be better living with her?"   
  
  
"We'd be better stay here with Sully!!!" Brian insisted.   
  
  
"What's the matter?" they heard Sully's voice from the door.   
  
  
"Good evening, Mr.Sully," the ladies said, "We're from the Charity Society of Denver and this town invited us to watch how these children are being raised since their mother's passing and now it's clear to us."   
  
  
They walked to the door, but Sully stopped them,   
  
  
"Wait! Tell me the truth, you're here to take them from me?!"   
  
  
"Mr.Sully…it's very uncommon, when a single man tries to adopt children…especially, a man of your style of life…We appreciate your efforts…but it's very difficult for you to raise them…There is a good orphanage in Denver, and with time, they could be adopted by a giving and proper family."   
  
  
"I'll never let you, or anyone else, send them to an orphanage!" Sully interrupted, "Don't even think about it!"   
  
  
"We understand how you feel," they said, "There will be a meeting in town and we will then make our decision tomorrow. They have the final decision."   
  
  
"I don't care what they say!" Sully raised his voice, "I just told you, I'll never let you take them from me! And I don't want you to spy here behind my back!"   
  
  
"We'll see you at the meeting Mr. Sully." The ladies smiled politely, as they walked away…….  
  
  
Sully looked at the kids somewhat confused. "Don't worry," Brian soothed him, "we'll run away to live with the Cheyenne, and they'll never find us there!"   
  
  
Sully smiled bitterly, stroking the little boy's hair, then turned to Colleen and Matthew. "Cloud Dancing is here, he was waiting for those ladies to leave…I promised to give some supplies to the children in reservation, they're starving…I think, we can share with them."   
  
  
"Sure, we can Sully." Colleen said, "I'll pack the supplies."   
  
  
"I don't know what to do now." Sully sighed, looking at the medicine man helplessly, "seems all the town is against me, and now, those Denver ladies. .Cloud Dancing, I've promised them to stay together, but…I'm afraid, I'll lose this battle tomorrow."   
  
  
"So, you want to give up?" The Indian asked  
  
  
"No, I don't, but they'll take the kids from me after the town meeting, and there ain't nothing I can do."   
  
  
"Nobody knows, what will happen." Cloud Dancing answered, "Only the Great Spirit knows this. Just pray and don't give up, my brother…Thank you for your help."   
  
  
He mounted his horse and disappeared, repeating his advice, "Just don't give up."   
  
  
That was the second time Sully visited the town meeting. The first one was when the townsfolk decided to build a school in Colorado Springs. He suggested his friend Robert E. for the designing of the school building, but almost nobody agreed with him. Loren Bray and Jake Slicker were elected for this, but all they accomplished was a simple drawing. Sully could just exchange glances with Olive, who arrived late. She nodded, but said nothing.   
  
  
"We're here to talk about Matthew, Colleen and Brian Cooper," the Reverend began, "We all know that Sully takes care of them since Charlotte passed. We all appreciate this noble impulse, but now we need to make a final decision about their future. I hope those ladies from the Denver Charity society will help us….Now I want to ask them to speak."   
  
  
"We both appreciate how Mr.Sully tries to care for those children." one of the ladies said, "but, however, we must point out some defects. For example, Mr.Sully visited the Indian reservation together with them and has exposed them to danger, and Colleen Cooper must work much too hard for her age, because there is no adult woman in her family to help her. Our advice has to be to allow their godmother to accept them into her home and care for them. Thank you."   
  
  
She sat down. Loren Bray smiled exultantly. "Well," the Reverend said "now we need to ask Mrs.Olive Davis to speak."   
  
  
"As I understand, the final decision belongs to me…Well, you ladies just told us about Colleen's daily chores. I need to object – this is the usual thing for a girl of her age. This is Colorado Springs, not Denver. If these children live with me, they would need to do a lot of ranch work. It won't be easy."   
  
  
She paused and glanced at Sully, who sat tensely in his seat, nervously fingering his beads. "Now, back to Sully," she continued, "I don't much like his friendship with the Indians, that's true, but truth be told as well, Sully takes good care of Matthew, Colleen and Brian. They look happy, as when Charlotte was still alive."   
  
  
The crowd buzzed, but Olive raised her voice, "Have you ever seen Sully beating on any of them? Have you ever seen Sully drinking, or playing cards at the saloon? No, but we can see him spending all his time with theses children instead. My business in New Mexico doesn't let me spend so much time with them, as Sully does, and I really doubt that most fathers could raise up their kids with such love and care as Sully does!"   
  
  
"Olive! OLIVE!" Loren hissed, "Come round! What the hell are you talking about?! You don't know what you're sayin'!!"   
  
  
"So, here is my final decision," Olive ignored his brother, "Sully is the best family for Charlotte's kids, the best, they ever could find. Let them live with him!"   
  
  
Sully looked at her with gratitude, as she sat back down, "Thank you, Olive. You couldn't imagine how much this means to me!"   
  
  
"I know." Olive said softly, "I know, Sully. I've done the right thing."   
  
  
Olive's speech convinced the townsfolk of the truth of her words. They didn't mind as the Reverend finally said, "Olive Davis has decided against the adoption of Cooper children in favour of Sully.   
  
  
So, they can be adopted by him, as soon as their biological father signs the papers…Congratulations, Sully!" He couldn't help but smile with relief. When all the crowd left the church, Loren Bray suddenly stopped near Sully: "How you're going to find Ethan? Nobody knows where he is."   
  
  
"I'll find him." Sully said stubbornly.   
  
  
"Well…if they decided in your favour…be a good father to them!" He turned away and walked through the meadow, trying to catch up with Olive..   
  
  
- Nobody in town believed that Sully would find Ethan Cooper. He wrote dozens of letters to all the newspapers in big cities, without any answer. But a month later, Horace received a telegram for Sully from San Francisco. Ethan promised to meet him in Colorado Springs as soon as he could. But he didn't show up when he said he would, he disappeared again, and Sully almost lost all hope, when suddenly got another telegram from Ethan, this time from Boston. It said that he couldn't come to Colorado Springs, but is able to meet Sully in Boston and sign all the papers. The next sentence put Sully into despair, Ethan demanded money, three hundred dollars, for signing the papers .   
  
  
"What's wrong, Sully?" Olive asked when she stopped at the telegraph.   
  
  
Sully showed her a telegram: "I don't have that kind of money, and I have nothing to sell…just my mother's wedding ring, but it doesn't cost $300."   
  
  
"Don't worry," Olive said, "we'll find a way. Just go there as soon as you can, before he changes his mind again."   
  
  
"Miss Olive…you don't need..." he began.   
  
  
"I'm still their godmother, don't forget that, and I want them to have a real family!" she answered, "a family where they're loved, so we'll find a way together."   
  
  
"Boston?!" Colleen said with some envy, "Sully, that's great! I wish I could visit a big city like that!"   
  
  
"Just wasting your time." Matthew muttered.   
  
  
"You don't understand!" Colleen outraged, "I've read about the Museum, and the National Library…How I wish to see them!"   
  
  
Brian climbed onto Sully's lap, "Don't leave Sully, I'll miss ya."   
  
  
"Brian, do you want Sully to be our Pa?" Colleen asked her brother  
  
  
He shrugged, "He is our pa now."   
  
  
"I mean, a real Pa. So, Sully needs to go Boston to sign the papers."   
  
  
Sully didn't tell the kids about the money that Ethan demanded for signing, he didn't want to upset them.   
  
  
"Yes, I understand," Brian sighed, "but I'll miss him so much!"   
  
  
He bit his lower lip, trying not to cry.   
  
  
Sully looked at him. He couldn't explain, even to himself, why he said this,   
  
  
"How about we all go to Boston all together?"   
  
  
Colleen and Brian squealed and hugged him. Only Matthew looked at them discontentedly.   
  
  
"I have a lot of work here, Sully." he said  
  
  
"He just doesn't want to leave Ingrid." Brian said, as Matthew showed him a fist.   
  
  
"I know." Sully said, "I understand this, but I need you there…"  
  
  
"For what?" Matthew asked impatiently.   
  
  
"I need ya for watching Colleen and Brian while I talk with Ethan…Matthew, I'll owe you…"  
  
  
"Well, if you need me....." Matthew agreed reluctantly, "but who will stay here and feed the animals?"   
  
  
"I'll ask Robert E."   
  
  
"So, we're going to Boston?" Colleen asked.   
  
  
"Yes, I guess we are!" Sully answered her.   
  
  
When they were standing near the stagecoach, Olive approached Sully with a yellow envelope in her hand, "Here is three hundred, Sully. Give it to Ethan, if he's not ashamed to sell his own children…Don't let him take it until he signs all the papers."   
  
  
"Thank you, Miss Olive." Sully took the envelope, "I'll pay you back as soon as I can."   
  
  
"I have a lot of work for you after you come back. Besides that, I did this for you and for the kids, I'm their godmother, ain't I?"   
  
  
"Hey, wait a minute!" Loren Bray squeezed through the crowd, holding another envelope just like Olive's, "Take this.."   
  
  
He handed the envelope to Sully, "Your kids need some extra money there in Boston.".   
  
  
Sully shook his head, "I appreciate this Loren, very much, but it's my problem."   
  
  
"Don't be so darn stubborn, Sully!" Loren said peevishly, "I'm given ya this not for you, but to your kids!" He tugged at his vest, turned away, and walked back to his store.   
  
  
Colleen and Brian were really taken with Boston. Even the boardinghouse where they were settled, seemed like a splendid hotel to them. They were walking around the city every day, visiting the museums, the Library, even the sweet-shop, at Brian's urgent request…They were impressed by all those new things very much.   
  
  
Sully's mood, however, was not so cloudless – more than three days had already passed, but Ethan didn't meet him yet.   
  
  
Today Colleen asked Matthew to go with her to the library, and he reluctantly agreed, but Sully and Brian were going for a walk. Brian wanted to see the ocean.   
  
  
Walking, they found themselves in some unknown district of Boston. Perhaps it was the prestigious one, and well-dressed ladies and gentlemen stopped from time to time, looking at Sully's buckskins and Indian beads with disgust.   
  
  
"Sully, look at the beautiful staircase!" Brian jumped up the steps, "All white! What is it made of?"   
  
  
"Marble." Sully answered, "now be careful, Brian, look under your feet…"  
  
  
Brian stopped and turned to Sully: "Sully," he suddenly asked, "what if you marry some good lady, we'll be a real family, with Pa and Ma?"   
  
  
Sully stopped also: "What's the matter Brian, you don't like living with me?"   
  
  
"Ah Sully, sure I do. I just thought…maybe, you feel lonely sometimes…"  
  
  
"Come here, Brian." he sat at the step, and Brian sat near him.   
  
  
"I don't think I can marry someone else, but hopefully, in time…you know, you must fall in love with somebody before getting married, but I don't know if I can love another woman after Abagail…Besides that, I don't feel lonely having you three…"  
  
  
"I'm sorry." Brian said.   
  
  
"It's nothing." Sully answered, "Now, let's go, if you still want to look at the ocean."   
  
  
Brian hopped on one leg downstairs, but suddenly he lost his balance and fell head over heels from the staircase, screaming.   
  
  
Sully ran to the bottom of the stairs and kneeled at Brian: "Brian…are you alright?"   
  
  
"My arm!" the boy whimpered, "I can't move it! It hurts! And I hit my head on the step, it hurts Sully!!"   
  
  
There was a big lump on his forehead.   
  
  
Your arm could be broken." Sully said with concern, "We need to find a doctor, he'll fix it…Hold on, son, please, we'll find him."   
  
  
Carrying a crying Brian, he ran along the street, glancing at the shingles…Soon he had found the shingle: "Dr. David Lewis, M.D."   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
